Strip stock feeder



July 19, 1966 A. F. GROLL STRIP STOCK FEEDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. '7, 1963 won 1F 9 WM W A QBY dlam/iaieflfoon a'lfornez 5- July 19, 1966 A. F. GROLL 3,261,194

STRIP STOCK FEEDER Filed Jan. '7, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALVIN F. GROLL aiforneys- July 12, 1966 w. M. KARLYN 3,260,194

REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR STENGILLING APPARATUS IZO/ Q INVENTOR WILLIAM M. KARLYN TORNEYS United States Patent 3,261,194 STRIP STUCK FEEDER Alvin F. Groll, Box 347, Napoleon, Ohio Filed Jan. 7, 1963, S81. No. 249,739 2 Claims. (Cl. 72-161) This invention relates to strip stock feeders.

Strip metal, usually steel, from which shapes are to be cut by power presses is supplied in tightly wound coils, the outside diameters of which may be four and one-half feet, more or less. While the metal of a coil usually is annealed it nevertheless is quite stiff and is set in the curvature of the coil. Hence, it is necessary to pass the strip through straightening mechanism which usually comprises a series of rollers that progressively reduce the curvature.

The coil to be unwound usually is supported in a cradle which carries the coil either on rotatable members that project axially into the center of the coil or rollers which lie beneath the coil and are engaged by the periphery of the coil. The rotatable members or the rollers in some installations are permitted to turn freely as the coil is unwound by pulling the strip metal therefrom. But in other installations at least one of the rotatable members or one of the rollers may be motor driven to turn the coil.

Because the metal of the strip is set in the curvature of the coil, the end of the strip must be forceably pulled or pried away from the periphery of the coil and threaded into the straightening mechanism. Hot rolled strip in particular takes a heavy set and creates problems by cracking when it is unrolled by the above procedure.

The objects of this invention are to improve strip stock feeders, to unroll strip metal and in particular hot rolled strip metal without cracking the metal, and to apply a back or reverse bend to such strip just ahead of the tangent line where the strip comes off or becomes free of the coil.

One embodiment of this invention enabling the realization of these objects is a strip stock feeder which is provided with improved means for applying a back or reverse bend to the strip as it comes off the coil, i.e., a bend opposite to the curvature of the coil. After the stock lifts free of the coil, pressure is applied to the strip to compress the outer surface and stretch the inner surface to avoid crimp and breakage. Such back or reverse bend is close to the tangent point where the strip comes off the coil and is of a degree such that the back or reverse bend in itself does not injure the strip.

In accordance with the above, the principal feature of this invention resides in giving the reverse bend to the strip just ahead of the tangent line where the strip comes 01f the coil.

The above and other objects and features of this invention will be appreciated more fully from the following detailed description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation in schematic form showing a strip stock feeder equipped with the means for applying a reverse bend to the strip just ahead of the tangent line where the strip comes off the coil;

FIG. 2 is a simplified, perspective view as seen from a position to the left of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 having a small coil of strip stock substituted for the large coil of strip stock shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1 showing the device in inoperative position; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the device in operative position.

Referring to the drawings, since the cradle may be of any desired type and may support coils by means of cones engaging the central coil opening or a conveyor belt or chain or a pair of rollers engaging the lower side of the 3,251,194 Patented July 19, 1966 periphery of the coil, the cradle is shown somewhat schematically, and will not be described herein in detail. Apparatus for feeding strip stock 11) from a stock coil 11 includes a pair of rotatable coil supporting cones or arbors or clamp members 12 and a feeding and straightening device 13, of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,984,- 012, issued May 16, 1961, to Alvin F. Groll, or other strip stock receiving station that is mounted in a frame 14 and that draws strip stock 10 from the coil 11 and delivers it to a punch press, power driven shears, or other similar machinery. The coil supporting cones 12 are journaled in housings 15 and can be of the type shown in detail in U.S. Patent No. 2,915,257, issued December 1, 1959, to E. W. Bruns, and are loaded by means of a vertically adjustable platform driven by a hydraulic lift cylinder which are not shown but representative ones of which are shown in the above U.S. Patent No. 2,915,257, the coil 11 being aligned in proper position for clamping by the pair of coil supporting cones 12 by means of the vertically adjustable platform. The coil 11 shown in FIG. 1 has an outside diameter about as large as the feeder can accommodate. The coil 11 is removed from the feeder as shown in FIG. 2 and a nearly-used-up relatively small coil 16 to begin with is shown substituted in its place. The coil 16 has an inside diameter 17 shown schematically in broken lines in FIG. 1 as small as the feeder can accommodate and produces unrolled stock 18 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Because the metal of the strip is set in the curvature of the coil, the end of the strip must be forceably pulled or pried away from the periphery of the coil 11. A peeler 19 is provided for peeling the end of the strip 10 from the coil 11, such device being shown in detail in U.S. Patent No. 2,965,328, issued December 20, 1960, to Alvin F. Groll, and therefore in FIG. 1 somewhat schematically. Pivoted at 20 to swing between the walls of the frame 14 is a bail 21 consisting of a pair of arms which carry a blade 22. A plunger rod 23 is pivoted at 24 to the bail 21 and extends into a hydraulic cylinder 25 which in turn is pivoted at 26 in a hood 27 having spaced side-walls 28. Gravity is utilized to bring the blade 22 into contact with the exterior of the coil 11 and after the strip 10 has been separated from the periphery of the coil and directed into the straightener 13 or other strip stock receiving station, hydraulic fluid is admitted to the lower end of the cylinder 25 to swing the bail 21 upwardly with the blade 22 out of engagement with the periphery of the coil 11 as shown in the above U.S. Patent No. 2,965,328.

Guide rollers 29' (see also FIG. 2) are mounted between the upright walls 28 of the hood 27 and are in series with a curved guide sheet 30 to constitute a path for the pas sage of strip material being unwound from the coil 11, such path being generally similar to that provided by the rollers and guide ribs shown in the above U.S. Patent No. 2,965,328. The coil 11 when being unwound is turned clockwise as viewed in FIG. 1 and as indicated by the straight arrow in FIG. 1.

The metal of the strip 10 is set in the curvature of the large coil 11 (FIG. 1) and the metal of the strip 18 is set in the curvature of the small coil 16 (FIG. 2). Hot rolled strip in particular takes a heavy set and creates problems by cracking when it is unrolled by means of the strip stock feeders of the prior art. To prevent such cracking, the strip stock feeder of the invention is provided with improved means for applying a back or reverse bend to the strip as it comes off the coil, 1'.e., a bend opposite to the curvature of the coil. The means for applying the back or reverse bend is improved because it applies the bend just ahead of the tangent line where the strip becomes free of the coil in contrast to the means for applying the back or reverse bend disclosed in U.S. application Serial No. 240,009, filed November 26, 1962, in the name of Alvin F. Groll, which applies the bend relatively close to such tangent line but not just ahead of such tangent line.

The means for applying the back or reverse bend includes a large pressure and threading roller 31 on a rotatably mounted shaft 42 journaled in the legs of a U-shaped member 33 carried by an elongated U-shaped member 34 the legs of which are pivoted at 35 on the outside of the hood walls 28. The axes of the pivots 26 and 35 coincide. The legs of the U-shaped member 33 are close enough together that they can be received between the coil supporting cones 12 as shown in FIG. 2. The roller 31 is driven by a motor 36 atop the Ushaped member 33 through a chain 37 running around a sprocket 38 on the motor shaft and sprocket teeth 39 located in a peripheral groove 40 around the middle of the roller 31. The U-shaped members 33 and 34 provide a long lever arm so that the weight of the motor 36 and roller 31 is multiplied appreciably to produce a relatively large bending force for the strip. The roller 31 is driven counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1 to help advance the strip when the coil 11 (FIG. 1) or 16 (FIG. 2) is beingunwound.

The strip 10 comes ofi the coil 11 at a tangent point indicated by a tangent A (FIG. 1) which is tangent to the coil at such tangent point. This tangent point also can be seen in FIG. 3 which shows the strip 10 as it would come off the coil 11 if it were not interfered with by the roller 31. The roller 31 is allowed to swing from its position shown in FIG. 3 into its position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 under the influence of gravity, the roller 31 together with the motor 36 and their supporting U-shaped members 33 and 34 pivoting as one about the axes of pivots 35. The coil 11 itself acts as a backup for the roller 31 which engages the strip as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 just ahead of the tangent line where the strip comes off the coil to put the reverse bend into the strip, the strip bending around the roller 31 in a bend opposite to the curvature of the coil 11. The reverse bend is as close to the tangent point where the strip comes off the coil as possible so that the bend is applied before crimp and breakage can start and should be of a degree such that the bend in itself does not injure the strip. It is known that a sharp bend of about 180 degrees around a short radius roll causes a series of minute fractures or surface checks. The strip 10 continues upward from the roller 31 until it rests on the guide rollers 29 and proceeds as indicated by the straight arrow in FIG. 1.

As the coil 11 is used up, the roller 31 follows the diminishing coil as indicated in FIG. 1, the solid and broken line positions of the roller 31 (FIG. 1) being about the ends of its operative travel. The geometry of the apparatus is such that the roller 31 engages the strip just ahead of the tangent line where the strip comes off the coil to put the reverse bend into the strip during the entire unrolling process, i.e., even though the coil diam- 4. V eter grows smaller during unrolling the roller 31always bears on the same relative spot.

It is to be understood that the above description is illustrative of this invention and that various modifications thereof can be utilized without departing from its spirit and scope.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In a strip stock feeder, in combination means for carrying a coil of strip stock, a strip stock receiving station for the reception of strip stock from said coil, a strip stock guide spaced from the outer periphery of said coil and defining a smoothly curved path having a curvature less than that which imparts a permanent set to said strip stock, said guide leading said strip stock to said receiving station, said curved path and the outer periphery of a coil carried by said carrying means having common planes of tangency for all diameters of coils within the capacity of said carrying means, a pressure roll mounted to press against the outer periphery of a coil carried by said carrying means while uncoiled strip stock extends from said coil to said guide, drive means for rotating said roll to ,advance the strip stock toward said guide, and means positioning said roll to force said strip stock against said coil as a limiting backup means over a range of positions in which the planes common to the centers of said roll and coil intersect the plane of common tangency between the outer periphery of said coil and said guide intermediate said guide and the line of tangency to said coil and closely adjacent said line of tangency to apply a bending force to said strip stock between said guide and said coil for all sizes of coil accommodated by said feeder which is opposite the set of the coiled stock, said range of positions being such that in all positions the strip stock advanced to said guide is stressed beyond its elastic limit around said roll to develop a slight reverse bend relative to the set of the coiled stock.

2. A combination according to claim 1 including a lever as said roll positioning means, a pivot for said lever remote from the point of support of said roll on said lever, and a drive motor for said roll mounted on said lever, and a stantial distance from said pivot to augment by its weight the pressure of said roll upon said coil.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,087,010 7/1937 Wardle et al 153-54 2,096,713 10/1937 Freeze 15354 FOREIGN PATENTS 550,155 5/1932 Germany.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

R. D. GREFE, Examiner. 

1. IN A STRIP STOCK FEEDER, IN COMBINATION MEANS FOR CARRYING A COIL OF STRIP STOCK, A STGRIP RECEIVING STATION FOR THE RECEPTION OF STRIP STOCK FROM SAID COUL, A STRIP STOCK GUIDE SPACED FROM THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID COIL AND DEFINING A SMOOTHLY CURVED PATH HAVING A CURVATURE LESS THAN THAT WHICH IMPARTS A PERMANENT SET TO SAID STRIP STOCK, SAID GUIDE LEADING SAID STRIP STOCK TO SAID RECEIVING STATION, SAID CURVED PATH AND THE OTHE OUTER PERIPHERY OF A COIL CARRIED BY SAID CARRYING MEANS HAVING COMMON PLANES OF TANGENCY FOR ALL DIAMETERS OF COILS WITHIN THE CAPACITY OF SAID CARRYING MEANS, A PRESSURE ROLL MOUNTED TO PRESS AGAINST THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF A COIL CARRIED BY SAID CARRYING MEANS WHILE UNCOILED STRIP STOCK AGAINST SAID COIL TO SAID GUIDE, DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROLL TO ADVANCE THE STRIP STOCK TOWARD SAID GUIDE, AND MEANS POSITIONING SAID ROLL TO FORCE SAID STRIP STOCK AGAINST SAID COIL AS A LIMITING BACKUP MEANS OVER A RANG E OF POSITIONS IN WHICH THE PLANES COMMON TO THE CENTERS OF SAID ROLL AND COIL INTERSECT THE PLANE OF COMMON TANGENCY BETWEEN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID COIL AND SAID GUIDE INTERMEDIATE SAID GUIDE AND THE LINE OF TANGENCY TO SAID COIL AND CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID LINE OF TANGENCY TO APPLY A BENDING FORCE TO SAID STRIP STOCK BETWEEN SAID GUIDE AND SAID COIL FOR ALL SIZES OF COIL ACCOMMODATED BY SAID FEEDER WHICH IS OPPOSITE THE SET OF THE COILED STOCK, SAID RANGE OF POSITIONS BEING SUCH THAT IN ALL POSITIONS THE STRIP STOCK ADVANCED TO SAID GUIDE IS STRESSED BEYOND ITS ELASTIC LIMIT AROUND SAID ROLL TO DEVELOP A SLIGHT REVERSE BEND RELATIVE TO THE SET OF THE COILED STOCK. 